Shoulder pack



May 21,1957 '5. 0. BROWN SHOULDER PACK Filed m 24, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

Zseaiid row/Z United States Patent SHOULDER PACK Ronald G. Brown, Highland Park, Ill. Application May 24, 1955, Serial No. 510,676 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-8) This invention relates to knapsacks, haversacks, and packs of the type which are normally carried on the back of a person on camping trips, fishing trips and the like. Of course, the invention is applicable to packs used for other purposes as well.

Anyone who has had any camping experience knows the annoyance that is experienced in finding that the particular article of clothing or other utility which is wanted is always at the bottom of the pack, and the task of unpacking the entire haversack to get at the desired article is usually very exasperating. Duluth packs may be taken as an example of a conventional pack used for camping trips, and while vertical partitions are provided, thus giving a number of compartments in the pack, it provides no solution to reaching that sought-after article at the bottom of the pack.

Oftentimes on a camping trip, it is not convenient to completely unpack ones equipment, not only because of very cramped quarters within a sleeping tent, but also because the weather is not conducive to laying out ones equipment. In any event, it often happens that one is content to leave his equipment in the pack and hope that by a sense of feel he can dig out the particular article of clothing or other utility which is desired.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a haversack or pack which is much more convenient to use than conventional packs of this type and which enables one to have access to all portions of the pack very easily.

Further and other objects will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic pespective view of a pack made in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a similar fragmentary view on the line 33 of the same figure.

But this illustration of a preferred form of the invention should not be construed as imposing unnecessary limitations upon the appended claims.

In the drawing, a knapsack is shown diagrammatically at 10, comprising side walls 11 and 12, a wall 13 which may be termed a rear wall, a wall 14 which may be called a front wall and bottom wall 15, all of which combine to provide a box-like compartment which is generally designated at 16. The top of the compartment is open and is intended to be covered by a flap 17 in much the same manner as a conventional Duluth pack. The entire pack is made of duck, canvas, or other suitable waterproof fabric or pliant material as is customary.

The rear wall of the pack is provided with a zippered flap 18, the zipper being indicated at 19 and the flap opening at 20. The opening 20 is of such vertical and horizontal dimension as to provide substantially free access to the interior of the pack for its full height.

The pack is provided with a plurality of horizontal shelves, here indicated as 21, 22 and 23 (although any suitable number may be provided), and these shelves divide the pack space 16 into a number of horizontal compartments, all of which may be reached through the opening 20. The shelves 21, 22 and 23 may also be made of fabric material of the same character as the pack, or, if desired, they may be stiffened with light plywood, beaverboard, or other such stiff material.

The shelves 21, 22 and 23 are preferably provided with upturned edges, as indicated at 24, which provide a margin of fabric which may be easily sewn to the walls of the pack, as indicated in Figure 3, the stitching being shown at 25.

Preferably also, the pack is provided with a vertical compartment, as indicated at 26, this compartment being defined by the front wall 14 and by an intermediate vertical wall 27 which is provided with a margin 28 that is sewn to the side walls 11 and 12 and to the bottom wall 15. The space 26 is convenient for certain types of equipment often carried on camping trips, such as axes, shovels, cooking equipment, folding stoves, blankets, etc., leaving the shelves 21, 22 and 23 for clothing and food equipment, although, of course, the particular arrangement of articles in the pack is left to the choice of the user. The stitching for the vertical wall 27 is indicated at 29 in Figure 2.

The pack is provided with the usual shoulder straps 3G and 31, and, of course, tumplines may be used if desired. The flap 17 has leather straps 32 cooperating with buckles 33 provided on the rear face 1.3 of the pack.

In use, it will be seen that the vertical compartment 26 may be readily reached by merely unbuckling the straps 32 and lifting up the flap l7, and then, if access to any one of the shelves 21, 22 and 23 is desired, it is merely necessary to unzipper the flap 18, as shown in Figure l. The flap 18, when in this position, also serves as a convenient ground cloth for placing articles which are taken from the pack, and this is an added advantage to the construction shown.

It is, of course, apparent that there are various shelf arrangements which may be employed consonant with the disclosure contained herein, but the essential feature is that the back wall of the pack be provided with a zippered flap which enables the pack to he stood in an upright position and still give access to the interior thereof substantially in the manner disclosed in this application.

It should also be noted that the flap 17 when closed provides protection for the zipper 19 and keeps the pack dry in inclement weather.

I claim:

1. In a shoulder pack of the type having front and rear walls of pliant material and forming with opposed side Walls and a bottom wall a box-like space open at the top, said pack also having shoulder straps secured thereto adjacent said front wall and a pliant cover extending from the top of the front wall over the top of the pack to close said box-like space, the combination therewith of a horizontal shelf secured within the pack and dividing said space into superposed horizontal compartments, and a zippered flap in the rear wall of the pack, and more than half the width thereof, having its lower margin closely adjacent the bottom wall of the pack and with the flap extending substantially above said shelf, whereby when the flap is unzippered, it folds downwardly to serve as a ground cloth for articles removed from the pack and provides free lateral access to both of said superposed compartments.

2. A shoulder pack as set forth in claim 1 in which the pack is also provided with a vertical compartment adjacent the front of the pack, said vertical compartment being defined by the front wall of the pack and by a vertical wall intermediate the front and rear walls, said 3 horizontal shelf abutting and being secured to said verti- 2,098,636 cal wall. 2,164,493 2,481,565 Referenees Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 922,046 Royce May 18, 1909 4 Smith et a1. Nov. 9, 1937 Branen July 4, 1939 Boretz Sept. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Nov. 10, 1910 

